Be Aware
Many times people say that they need more room to dance and how much better things would be if there were more room to dance. But really what is needed is more awareness and more control. Dancing in a crowded space is one of the most difficult dance skills to develop. It takes serious time in the club setting to get used to the dynamics of the floor. But when you are around good dancers in a packed club and everyone is doing their thing (without colliding) - there's nothing like it.
That said, the most fundamental obligation in a dance is not to give your partner the dance of his or her life; it's to not injure your partner or other people on the dance floor. From the moment you take your partner's hand and start heading to a good spot until the time the song is done, you need to be aware of the surroundings -- which change by the second.
Suprising or not one of the most hazardous parts of the dance is moving through the dance floor looking for a spot to dance. Other dancers don't necessarily see you when you are walking through. In fact, its very hard to anticipate people who are not dancing -- they just pop up out of nowhere. And you of course are busy looking around for an open spot not necessarily at the movement around you. Very often leaders, are dragging their partner to a spot and are unaware of the location of their partner and what is going on around them. Look back. Make sure you don't drag your partner into a couple. If you are leading a woman on to the dance floor and she stops, you stop too. Wait until she is clear before proceeding. There is no time limit to getting on the dance floor so don't rush - just find your way through the crowd and make sure the dancers see you -- don't run by. Good dancers will actually let you through if they see you.
OK now you are dancing. You're going to do that cross-body lead... Everyone remembers how to cross the street. In dancing its more or less the same thing -- look both ways (left and right) and look where you are going. Judge how far you can go. Then only go that far. For followers that means going only as far as you are lead and only if there is room to actually go there. If you are following and your leader is about to run you into someone -- don't go. That takes confidence to stop the flow of the dance on the follower's part. Leaders have to instill that confidence in their partner that they are aware and in control.
Very often when mistakes happen it's one of two things:
- The leader has not looked where they are leading
- The follower travels beyond what is lead
Awareness is a tandem operation. You need to look out for yourself and your partner and communicate with each other. Followers can always give their partner a heads-up on something they might not see coming up -- no one can see everything.
Awareness that you have run into someone (whether it's your fault or not) is also important. Appologies go a long way to keeping a civilized floor and making sure others are OK after an incident is at least a little consolation.
Next: Protect Your Partner
